剧作 (jù zuō) — dramatic work; play (theater script) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Refers to a play or dramatic work as a finished text/script — the writing itself, distinct from 戏剧 (the art form/performance).

noun

dramatic workplay (theater script)

Measure word · 部

Examples

剧作。
Tā xiě le yí bù jù zuō.
He wrote a play.
剧作。
Zhè bù jù zuō zài wǔ tái shàng hěn shòu huān yíng.
This play is very popular on stage.
剧作。
Wǒ men zhèng zài tǎo lùn zhè bù jù zuō de zhǔ tí.
We are discussing the theme of this play.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

剧 drama and 作 work combine to mean a dramatic work.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 劇; 剧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

刀刀dāoknife

Sound part声符shēngfú

豦

豦jù劇jù

Same sound today

The traditional form 劇 pairs 豦, which gives the sound, with 刀, a knife; the simplified 剧 is a later shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻乍作

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

乍

乍zhà作zuò

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

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